Law Enforcement and E-scooters (1)

Sem Moema: What promotional campaigns are in place to raise awareness amongst Londoners regarding the legal use of E-scooters?

The Mayor: In advance of the launch of the e-scooter rental trial, Transport for London (TfL) ran a marketing campaign using local press, on-street posters and targeted online advertising to launch and drive awareness of the trial in participating London boroughs. The campaign informed Londoners that the trial was taking place and provided guidance on how rental e-scooters should be used legally, safely and responsibly. The messaging emphasised that rental e-scooters are the only e-scooters legally allowed on London’s roads.
As the trial has expanded to other boroughs, TfL has promoted the same messages via targeted online advertising and through its channels such as the website, PR and social media.
In addition, the e-scooter rental trial operators (Dott, Lime and TIER) are delivering ongoing marketing campaigns, which promote safer behaviours and legal use of e-scooters. Their marketing activity includes TV, digital and poster advertising, and is supported by online and in-person training.
In future, TfL is considering how it can supplement existing communications to further highlight the legal status and dangers of privately owned e-scooters.

Turnpike Lane Flooding

Joanne McCartney: What preventative work can be done to prevent Turnpike Lane London Underground station from flooding? It has closed due to excessive rainfall on two recent occasions.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is aware of this issue and has already taken steps to mitigate it.
In terms of mitigating the risk, a flood detecting system with remote alarm panel and an anti-flood valve to prevent backflow were both installed. While the anti-flood system is now fully tested and operational, the existing anti-flood system was found to be no longer fit for purpose following the last flood incident on Sunday 25 June 2021, and a modern replacement system has been ordered and will be installed by the end of November.

Transport for London Hands Up campaign (2)

Caroline Russell: How are you engaging councils to support the Transport for London (TfL) Hands Up campaign? For example, are you encouraging them to add pages to their websites to support Londoners who might have experienced hate crime on public transport and encourage them to report it?

The Mayor: Most London boroughs are already engaged and supportive of the need to reduce hate crime and provide encouragement at a local level to report hate crimes. For example, London Borough of Lambeth has included guidance on its website encouraging those who experience or witness a hate crime to report it to the police. Therefore, Transport for London (TfL) has not yet directly engaged borough teams specifically on the Hands Up campaign. However, in the lead up to ‘Hate Crime Awareness Week’ (9-16 October), TfL will be working with boroughs and councillors to share the campaign on their social media channels, websites and newsletters.
London Councils has also helped TfL by sharing information with 489 secondary schools, raising awareness of hate crime, increasing understanding of those who can be affected by it whilst travelling on public transport and encouraging reporting amongst this important age group.

Menopause policy

Marina Ahmad: The Women and Equalities Committee have launched an inquiry into menopause and the workplace. Given that you are introducing a menopause policy in City Hall, will you make a submission to the inquiry with the evidence that you have gathered, and outline the actions that you are taking to support people going through the menopause in the workplace?

The Mayor: I am committed to the GLA Group adopting progressive Menopause policies and have made a commitment to this as part of my Mayoral manifesto. Officers are working collectively across the Group to develop this new policy and I will encourage them to be open and transparent with all stakeholders including the Women and Equalities Committee should they gather evidence that is useful to share.

Mode of transport for GLA Group staff

Tony Devenish: Can you provide a full breakdown of what form of transport all GLA Group employees use to commute to work and include with cars which engine size of the vehicles?

The Mayor: The GLA Group does not collect information from staff regarding how they commute to work.

MPS use of live facial recognition at Extinction Rebellion protests

Caroline Russell: Did the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) deploy live facial recognition (LFR) during the recent Extinction Rebellion protests?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) publishes the results of its live facial recognition (LFR) deployments. This information is accessible here: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/central/advice/met/facial-recognition/latest-past-deployment-data.pdf

Unlicensed Music Events (UMEs) policy

Shaun Bailey: Please can you provide a copy of the Met’s new Unlicensed Music Events (UMEs) policy, launched in December 2020?

The Mayor: The Met’s UME policy is currently under review. MOPAC will provide you with a copy of the relevant documentation when the Review is completed.

Rotherhithe road tunnel

Caroline Pidgeon: Please publish a table showing the numbers of Penalty Charge Notices that are generated by the tunnel for each week since the start of the calendar year 2021. Please also state whether this revenue is retained for the maintenance of the tunnel.

The Mayor: The restrictions in place at the Rotherhithe Tunnel help to ensure that road users can use the tunnel safely. Information about the types of vehicles prohibited from using the tunnel is available on the Driving pages of the Transport for London (TfL) website.
Drivers of prohibited vehicles may receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for failing to comply with the restrictions. A weekly breakdown of PCNs issued to prohibited vehicles since 1 January 2021 is shown in the attached table. All revenue received from PCNs is reinvested into ongoing improvements in London’s transport infrastructure, including the maintenance of the tunnel.

The Mayor: 3573 - attachment - Rotherhithe road tunnel.xlsx

Report on Intelligent Speed Adaptation

Siân Berry: In your answer to question 2020/0057 you said Transport for London (TfL) had a draft report on the impact of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA). Has this report now been completed and published?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, work on this report has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Transport for London (TfL) intends to resume the work and look at a larger sample size as Intelligent Speed Assistance is much more prevalent in the fleet now. I have asked TfL to keep you updated.

Transport for London Hands Up campaign (1)

Caroline Russell: How will you be measuring the effectiveness of the Transport for London (TfL) Hands Up campaign in reducing hate crime on public transport in London, and how long will the campaign run?

The Mayor: The campaign, which will run throughout the year, encourages victims and bystanders to report incidents to the British Transport Police and Metropolitan Police Service. These organisations regularly monitor the number of incidents reported across the network and this will help them to understand effectiveness of the campaign in reducing hate crime.
Transport for London (TfL) is monitoring a range of effectiveness metrics including advertising recognition and customer attitudes. In response to this campaign. TfL also monitor media performance metrics including engagement with advertising and click through to the TfL website to find out more about how to report a hate crime. All media planning and buying is also independently audited for value and effectiveness.
TfL consulted with organisations that represent communities affected by hate crime in the development and design of the campaign, and TfL will continue to work with its stakeholders to measure its success.

Knife Surrender Bins

Shaun Bailey: Please can you provide a breakdown of the number of knife surrender bins by borough?

The Mayor: There are currently 23 Word4Weapons knife bins located across London. These can be found on their website https://www.word4weapons.co.uk/bin-locations/.
Word4Weapons then deliver the knives to the Met’s property store who lawfully dispose of them on their behalf.

Live Facial Recognition deployments

Unmesh Desai: How many violent offenders have been identified through the use of Live Facial Recognition in London? Please provide the breakdown by year if possible.

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) publishes the results of its live facial recognition (LFR) deployments. This information is accessible here: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/central/advice/met/facial-recognition/latest-past-deployment-data.pdf

Live Facial Recognition deployments

Unmesh Desai: Please provide details of all live facial recognition deployments in London in 2021 so far. Please provide data on how many positive and incorrect engagements were made at each deployment and the demographic data of those engaged with.

The Mayor: This information is available at:
https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/central/advice/met/facial-recognition/latest-past-deployment-data.pdf

Supporting active travel

Len Duvall: What are TfL’s plans to support local community groups and residents to support active travel in their community to make this a more attractive option than using the car?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) currently undertakes a range of activity, through building infrastructure, engaging local communities and marketing and behaviour change initiatives to help people switch to active travel from their car. It also works with London’s boroughs, schools and hospitals to support them in this activity.
Activities include:

Leaks of sensitive police data

Unmesh Desai: How many known incidences have there been in the last 5 years of sensitive police data being lost from Metropolitan Police records and databases?

The Mayor: Recorded MPS data protection incidents where a loss of Sensitive Data occurred are shown in the below table.Thesefigures excludes other forms of data breach and arelimited to loss/stolen data and data lost in post/internal dispatch,
Date
Number of losses
1st September to December 2016:
2
2017
35
2018
4
2019
28
2020
71
Year to 31 August 2021*
49

Improving walking and cycling connectivity in Richmond

Siân Berry: A constituent has raised concerns about the lack of safe walking and cycling crossings of the Thames in Richmond where new housing developments will create new demand for transport. Current road crossings have gaps of around 4 km between them – are you supportive or new walking and cycling crossings in this area, and what work are you doing to improve connections over the Thames in this area?

The Mayor: As noted in my response to Mayor’s Question 2018/2607, Transport for London is not currently involved in proposals for a bridge in this area, but is aware of the aspiration and would be happy to provide advice to the borough or its other promoters should they wish to discuss their proposals.

Electric Cargo Bikes and London (2)

Leonie Cooper: Do we currently have the right infrastructure to extend the rollout of electric cargo bikes across London? What more could be done?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and the boroughs have delivered a London-wide strategic cycle network that spans over 360 kilometres. They are continuing to expand this network and all future delivery will meet TfL’s world-leading cycle route quality criteria (please see Mayor’s Question 2021/2684) that accommodates a range of different types of bikes, including cargo bikes.
My manifesto commits to working with TfL to create guidance on the removal of access barriers, to ensure that pavements, parks, and paths considers everyone’s needs, as there are still too many physical barriers across London that make getting around by cargo bike more difficult than it should be.
TfL is monitoring cargo bike growth and engaging with the industry to account for future demand. Increased cargo bike volumes will demand additional specialised cargo bike parking spaces and security will be key to encourage their uptake. TfL’s Healthy Streets Fund for Business gathered experience with BIDs schemes using cargo bikes to create the Cargo Bike Toolkit, enabling others to replicate and tailor using cargo bikes for their own operations.
TfL has already approved funding for two cargo bike cycle hangars in Waltham Forest for local businesses and Hackney Council have announced details of their cargo bike sharing scheme, part of the Zero Emission Network, funded by my Air Quality fund.
TfL is also trialling a new type of on-street cycle parking for larger cycles, including adapted cycles and cargo bikes. These spaces are free of charge and the first ones are being installed along Cycleway 4.
TfL is also exploring ways of repurposing its land for freight management as part of the green recovery, some of which may include micro-consolidation centres serviced by cargo bikes. Micro consolidation facilities can provide cargo and cycle storage as well as charging facilities. I will also continue to encourage, via TfL, new developments to provide micro-consolidation facilities wherever possible as part of their Delivery and Servicing Plans.

AI guidance

Susan Hall: How will the new Artificial Intelligence guidance from the College of Policing impact its use by the Met?

The Mayor: Neither MOPAC nor the Metropolitan Police Service is aware of new guidance from the College of Policing on Artificial Intelligence.

Accessibility Audit

Elly Baker: Atkins has been appointed by the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out an accessibility audit of all UK rail stations over the next two years. What discussions, if any, has TfL had with Atkins regarding the audit of TfL stations?

The Mayor: I am pleased that following the pledge in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the Department for Transport has appointed Atkins to undertake an accessibility audit of all UK train stations. I support the Government’s commitment to improve access to UK railway stations. ​It’s right that those with disabilities have better access to public transport and a bigger say in how they travel.
​Atkinshas not yet held any discussions with Transport for London (TfL)about the audit since their appointment was announced in August, however​TfL would welcome the opportunity to speak to them about this important issue. TfL is committed to taking action to ensure disabled people can travel easily, safely and with independence and has ​continued to make progress to make its transport network ​moreaccessible to all. This includes ​expanding step-free access ​across more of the TfL network, installing tactile paving and delivering the provision of its Turn up and Go service for those with visual and mobility impairments.

4.8% Fare Rise (1)

Elly Baker: What discussions, if any, have you had with the Government regarding their requirement that you raise fares by RPI+1% in January 2022? Is the Government minded to remove that condition for the TfL funding deal?

The Mayor: Since publication of the July Revised Budget, the Office for National Statistics released the month July 2021 RPI figures which determines fare increases nationally in January 2022. This came in at an annualised rate of 3.8 per cent (CPI was 2.0 per cent). Therefore, an RPI + 1 fare increase would be 4.8 per cent.
TfL and I are committed to keeping public transport as accessible and affordable as possible and no decisions on the fares package for 2022 have been made.
When a decision is made, consideration will need to be given to the prevailing economic circumstances and the explicit condition in the funding agreement. TfL has an assumption within the Financial Sustainability Plan and in its Revised Budget of an overall fares increase of RPI+1% on fares under my control in 2022.

4.8% Fare Rise (2)

Elly Baker: Given the climate emergency are you concerned that a 4.8% fare rise in January 2022 will price people off public transport and into private motor vehicles?

The Mayor: It is absolutely vital that we avoid a car-led recovery from the pandemic, as this would have devastating consequences both in terms of carbon emissions and air quality in London. In order to encourage the use of sustainable transport modes, it is vital that public transport remains affordable.
I am committed to keeping public transport as accessible and affordable as possible. My decision on the overall fares package for 2022 will be taken later this year. When making this decision, I will need to take into account considerations such as the prevailing economic circumstances and the requirement by the Government in the most recent funding settlement that Transport for London (TfL) raises fares by RPI+1 per cent overall on fares under my control in 2022.
Since publication of TfL’s July Revised Budget, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released the July 2021 RPI figures which determines fare increases nationally in January 2022. This came in at an annualised rate of 3.8 per cent (CPI was 2.0 per cent). Therefore, an RPI + 1 fare increase would be 4.8 per cent.

Tracking Children in Care Moved out of their Home Borough

Caroline Pidgeon: The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime recently said MOPAC is working with boroughs to ensure better tracking of children in care who move across boroughs. Please provide more details on this joint work and how you are working with all partners to ensure no children in care across London are unaccounted for, especially those in semi-independent accommodation.

The Mayor: The Mayor's Office for Police and Crime led on ‘The Reducing Criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers protocol’ published in March 2021 in collaboration with partners to provide guidance to local authorities on how to reduce unnecessary criminalisation of children placed out of area. The guidance was drafted in collaboration with local authority representatives.
It is the responsibility of all London Boroughs to engage with each other when making a critical decision on a child placed out of their home borough especially when an offence has occurred, and social workers and personal advisors should maintain contact with the child regardless of where they are placed. The protocol principles apply to foster homes, children’s homes and semi-independent placements.
The 2021 Child Exploitation Pan London Protocol also details the process the MPS and Local Authority must follow if a child moves to a care setting either within or outside of the London area. This includes notifying the new placement authority and relevant borough command unit.

E-Scooter Trials – Intoxicated Riders (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Can you confirm whether all three e-scooter companies taking part in the London e-scooter trials have safeguards and software to deter or prevent intoxicated individuals from renting e-scooters?

The Mayor: All three e-scooter rental companies operating in London have safeguards and software to deter or prevent intoxicated individuals from renting their e-scooters. A key safeguard is requiring and verifying users’ driving licence status. Requiring a valid licence restricts use of rental e-scooters only to people legally permitted to do so.
E-scooters are classified as motor vehicles, so it is an offence under section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to exceed the prescribed limit on the consumption of alcohol when driving these vehicles. A drink driving offence is dealt with in court and can lead to an unlimited fine, driving ban and up to 6 months in prison. Transport for London and the e-scooter rental companies work with the police to provide assistance, and this is aided by the license verification, which helps identify a rider even if they fail to stop, as well as identify their license status and any previous motoring offences.
Software-based measures that safeguard against riding whilst under the influence of alcohol include in-app messaging during night-time and unsociable hours, reminding users that such riding is illegal and asking the rider to confirm that they are within legal limits before use. All operators have mandatory in-app training for first-time riders, which contains education to deter riding under the influence of alcohol. There is also extensive messaging as part of operators’ marketing campaigns to deter intoxicated riding as well as safety campaigns and on-street events.

Private E-Scooters and the Public Transport Network

Caroline Pidgeon: How are you working with the Met, the BTP and TfL to ensure that those travelling with personal e-scooters on public transport are warned that their use on roads and pavements remains illegal?

The Mayor: The use of privately-owned e-scooters on public roads is illegal in the UK, as is riding any e-scooter, rental or private, on footways. Users in breach of those conditions risk fines and prosecutions. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is undertaking enforcement activity to tackle this and continues to develop tactics and plans to address the rise in use of private e-scooters. The MPS runs regular operations targeting e-scooters, and already this year has seized over2,500 privately owned illegal e-scooters as part of this enforcement work.
E-scooters cannot be ridden in TfL stations or on TfL services. Private e-scooters can be carried on the transport network if they are folded, however non-folding private e-scooters are not allowed on TfL services at any time. Engagement and communication activity on public transport publicises the restrictions on the use of e-scooters on the transport network, with posters prohibiting their use displayed in key locations. Transport for London (TfL) frontline colleagues, such as Customer Service Advisers and Bus Drivers, have been briefed on the rules prohibiting private and rental e-scooter use on public transport and can advise customers of these restrictions. Additionally, TfL’s Operations Officers engage with customers with e-scooters, reminding them of the rules on the transport network.
TfL co-ordinates engagement, education and enforcement activity with the MPS and the British Transport Police at hotspot locations.

Car Clubs (2)

Keith Prince: Have you read the recent CoMoUK Car Club Annual Report and, if so, how has it informed your plans on facilitating the expansion of car club provision in London?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy and London Plan set out London’s approach to car clubs as stated in the answer to Mayor’s Question 2021/3705. Officers at Transport for London (TfL) regularly review the latest evidence available to inform policy development and have read the 2020 CoMo annual report. TfL will continue to consider car club provision on a case by case basis, taking into account the local context and all available evidence.

E-scooter safety measures (1)

Krupesh Hirani: Would the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police explore working with schools on the rules and regulations around e-scooters?

The Mayor: Both the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and I are aware of the increased usage and popularity of e-scooters, including by young people, and the MPS is already working with partners in this area.
Schools and Youth Officers have access to information leaflets and posters that can be distributed or displayed within schools, to help better inform young people regarding the current laws and regulations surrounding use of e-Scooters. These have been designed in collaboration with the MPS’s Roads and Transport Policing Team (RTPC), who already assist with presentations to Schools and Youth Officers on awareness and interventions, as well as Operation Hornet (a London wide response to policing e-scooters).
The MPS Central Schools and Youth team continue to work with RTPC to develop an educational package that can be delivered in schools and further education establishments.